Improvement in building-blocks



drawings, in which- NITED STATES PATENT CEEICE.

EEANCIs Jo. HUBEE, oE wEs-T CLEVELAND, oHIo.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUILDING-BLOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,155, dated August 12, 1862.

.To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FRANCIS J o. HUBER, of

West Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahogav and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Molded Building- Blocks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying Figure 1 represents a perspective view of said building-block, and Fig. 2 a front view of a portion of a wall built of said blocks.

My invention consists in forming a rectangular building-block with oblique grooves on two or more of its vertical sides, said grooves being at an angle with each other and with the edges of the building-block, so as to form continuous oblique grooves across the face of a wall when such blocks are laid in the usual way of brick-laying.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, l will proceed to describe its construction.

My building-block is of rectangular shape, and my invention is not conned to any material or size of molded building-blocks, and may be applied to the manufacture of common bricks.

The sides of the block are groovcd, the grooves A running in an oblique direction, so as to form an angle with the edges of the block. These grooves are crossed by similar grooves, B. The grooves A are parallel to each other, and so are the grooves B, and when the blocks are properly laid in a wall the grooves A and B form a configuration, as represented in Fig. 2. The blocks are grooved similarly on two contiguous or all their vertical sides, so that when used as binders the grooves in the ends may t the whole conguration of the wall, as well as the grooves in the sides of the blocks.

A wall of this description, when plastered, will hold the plaster firmly and will prevent it from breaking and from becoming detached therefrom, as is frequently the case where smooth building blocks or bricks are used.

The oblique grooves are particularly effective in preventing the plaster from becoming detached by the action of its own weight, because the action of this weight, being naturally vertical, is nowhere parallel to the oblique grooves.

The grooves of the blocks within the wall and between the several blocks are filled with themortar which is used in building the wall, and thus act to a great extent to increase the strength of the wall.

When no plastering is applied to the wall, the blocks or bricks thus groovcd present a highly-ornamental device, which may be still more improved by painting the squares between the grooves in different colors-an oper-- ation which may be performed with great facility, for the reason that said squares are separated from each other by deep grooves, which prevent the color of one square from being daubed into the next adjoining one.

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention, what l Claim' herein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Forming a rectangular molded buildingblock with oblique grooves on two or more of its vertical sides, said grooves being at an angle with each other and with the edges of the building-block, so as to form continuous oblique grooves across the face of the wall when laid in the usual way of brick-laying, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

FRANCIS JO. HUBER. Witnesses:

E. COHEN, JULIUs H. BEowN. 

